The Way Things Might Have Been
by buffygirl52789
Summary: Dawn is sucked through a portal into another dimension: a world where she gets a glimpse of what might have been. BA [Complete]
1. Chapter 1: A Whole New World

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.

Rating: PG-13 for language

Pairing: B/A, W/T, X/A

Author's Note: This is based roughly on a little rp I did once. The concept is the same, but it is much more elaborate. This is going to be a fun one! It takes place immediately after the end of "Flooded." It will be mostly Dawn centric. Please not that this is different from The Good Life on the fact that I don't have it perfectly planned out before writing. It's more of a whim. Read and Review! The next chapter will be up very soon. See if you can figure out what's going on!

Chapter One: A Whole New World 

Giles sat down on the couch and sighed. "Well I suppose that's settled." 

Dawn sat down next to him. "I guess she just felt that she had to go now." There was a moment of silence. "Imagine what he's been going through. He loved her so much," she said quietly. They just sat there quietly for a moment. 

After a few minutes Giles stood up. "I suppose I should get to work on 'taking care' of Buffy's bills," he said, with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Dawn frowned slightly. "Giles, Buffy does need our help right now. I mean she just came back from....we don't even know where."

Giles faced Dawn. "I know she is in a very difficult place right now. But still, sometimes the easiest way to heal is to busy yourself, and besides I am not always going to be here."

Dawn's face fell slightly. "Oh." She crossed her arms. "I kind of forgot that you're not here for good."

Giles softened when he saw the young girl's expression. "I won't be leaving right away. I'll wait until Buffy has adjusted, until...until we've all adjusted," he added.

Dawn gave him a small smile. "Well, I guess I'll be in my room. I would try to help, but numbers are pretty much a foreign language to me," she said. 

Giles smiled back. "Okay Dawn." She walked upstairs.

Dawn wandered into her room and sat on her bed. Once again, Buffy was gone. Dawn knew she would be back this time, but still she was tired of being alone. 

She stood up and wandered over to her dresser. She pulled out the drawer of her jewelry box. She stared at the growing pile of stolen items. She didn't even know why she had taken them. 

She lifted a necklace from the box. She remembered taking this from the Magic Box a few weeks ago, while Anya was with a customer. She fingered the blue pendant. She didn't know if it had any powers, it had just caught her eye. She put it around her neck and fastened the clasp. She admired herself in the mirror. She fingered the necklace. "I just wish everything were back to normal," she whispered. 

A moment later a portal opened in the middle of Dawn's bedroom. Screaming, she was sucked into it.

Giles wiped his glasses. Buffy really did know how to get herself into a financial mess. All of a sudden he sat up straight when he heard Dawn scream. "Dawn!" he yelled, running for the stairs. He reached her room and threw the door open. 

The room was empty. But it was also a mess. Everything was tossed around, seeming to end up in one area near the bed. He walked closer to examine it. He knew that something was not quite right in the room, but he couldn't put his finger on it. "Dawn!" he called, walking through the rest of the house. She wasn't anywhere to be found. Then he realized what had happened. "Dammit!" he swore. He ran downstairs and grabbed his jacket. Then he walked out the door and headed for the Magic Box. 

The next thing Dawn knew she was laying on her bedroom floor. She stopped screaming. 

She looked around, puzzled. "What the hell was that?" she said. She stood up and brushed herself off. Everything appeared to be the same. Then she felt her neck, and realized the necklace was gone. 

"It's okay Dawn, it was probably just a dream," she said, beginning to pace around the room. "You just must have come up here and fell asleep." She walked over to her jewelry box and opened the bottom drawer.

It was empty. 

Her mouth dropped open. "What the..." Then she heard music playing downstairs. 

She walked into the hall. The music was playing pretty loud. "Giles?" she said, half to herself.

She couldn't believe the site when she entered the living room. Her mouth dropped open. 

There was a party going on. A party. In her living room. 

Dawn began to get the feeling that something was very wrong. Where was Giles? And even if she had fallen asleep, there wouldn't have been time for all of this. She also noticed changes in the room, like the lamp and the table that Buffy had broken in the fight earlier. Still there, good as new. 

She looked around at the people. She guessed about twenty, most of them complete strangers. Then she spotted Willow, and her heart leapt. "Willow!" she said excitedly. She pushed through the people, hurrying toward the familiar face. 

"Hey Dawnie!" Willow yelled over the music. She was dancing wildly. "Where did you go? This party is awesome!" 

Dawn looked at her sideways. "What is the party for?" she yelled.

Willow looked at her like she was crazy. "Are you okay Dawnie?" 

Dawn opened her mouth to speak again, but then closed it. She was pretty clear at this point on the fact that something was very wrong. She looked around for another familiar face. Unfamiliar blonde male, skinny brunette, nameless redhead, blonde haired girl dancing like crazy....Dawn snapped her head back to the blonde. "Tara?" she said incredulously. 

The blonde haired girl was dancing wildly. "Hey Dawnie!" she yelled. "Isn't the party great? Too bad the guests of honor have disappeared." She paused from dancing a minute to glance around the room, then shrugged and went back to dancing. 

Dawn blinked a few times. She had never seen Tara act this way. She decided to find Giles, he would know what to do. But first she asked the question she was dying to know the answer to.

"Why are we having this party? Who are these people?"

Tara frowned. "Are you alright? You know what the party's for, it was your idea. It's to celebrate the engagement."

"Who's engage-" Dawn was cut off when she heard Xander's voice across the room. "Xander!" she called. She saw him coming in the door with Anya. 

_Are Xander and Anya getting engaged?_ She thought. She pushed her way through the people until she was next to him. "Xander, do you know where Giles is?" she said, determined to get to the bottom of this. 

Xander raised his eyebrows. "Who's Giles?"

Dawn took a deep breath. _Maybe if I just go back to bed, I will realize that this was all a dream,_ she thought, heading back up to her room. 

She was just about to turn down the hall when she heard noises coming from Buffy's room. _Buffy!_ She thought excitedly. _She'll be able to help me!_ She hurried to her sister's room and opened the door. Her mouth fell open. Her sister was sitting on the bed, making out with-

"Dawn, don't you knock?" her sister said, annoyed. 

Angel gave her a strange look. "Yeah, really. We were kind of in the middle of something here."

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2: Putting Two and Two Together

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews on part 1. This is a record for me, the second part out this soon!

Please review, I want more reviews! The plot thickens a lot in this part. Enjoy!

Chapter 2- Putting Two and Two Together

Dawn gaped at Buffy and Angel. Before they could say another word she just shut the door. She turned around and sank down against the wall. 

How was it possible? How was...then Dawn got an idea. She closed her eyes and thought back to the last thing she remembered before she got to the land of dancing Taras and her sister making out with her not-so-forbidden love. _Ok, I put on the necklace,_ she thought. _Then I said..._

"I just wish everything was back to normal," she whispered.

"Dawn? Are you still there?" her sister yelled from inside. 

"Already gone," Dawn yelled back, walking away. _Then after that there was that flash of light, I screamed, and then I was on my bedroom floor._ She stopped dead in her tracks. "Oh, no," she moaned. She must be in an alternate dimension, the kind that Anya always talked about. 

_But which one?_ She thought as she entered her room. _Maybe it's the land without shrimp that Anya mentioned. That would be alright, I don't like shrimp anyway._ But she knew that it was something way bigger than that. 

She thought of the differences she had noticed so far. The furniture wasn't broken, her stash of stolen stuff was gone, Tara was acting...well, almost carefree, someone was getting engaged, and Buffy and Angel were kissing. 

"Maybe if I find more differences, I can figure out what this dimension is," she said. She paused as she realized that then she would need to find a way to get home.

"First things first," she said to herself. She looked around her room. Most things were the same. Then she noticed something. 

She walked over to the corner. "Oh my God," she said. It was her diaries, the whole stack of them, starting when she was only 7.

"But I burned these," she thought, gently touching the top one. She thought of the painful time and shook her head. "Concentrate on the task at hand, Dawn," she said, realizing she sounded like her guidance counselor. Sitting down on the bed, she picked up the top diary and began to flip through. Automatically she noticed a big difference.

There were no references to anything supernatural. Nothing about a demon they had had to fight, nothing about Buffy being a slayer....nothing about Buffy coming back. 

_Maybe in this dimension she never died,_ Dawn thought. She was beginning to have an idea. Not sure what to make of it, she decided to do a little more research. She pulled out the second diary from the top, the last one she had ever written in, in her own dimension anyway. She flipped to the point where all the bad stuff had happened. 

Nothing. Not one reference to the Key. Not one reference to her whole life being a lie. 

"Because here maybe it isn't," she whispered. She put the diary down. It was all beginning to make sense. 

"Maybe in this dimension....there are no vampires," she said quietly. "Maybe here we all just lead normal lives."

She thought about it for a second, and it began to make perfect sense. _Angel and Buffy could be together if he was human. And it would explain Giles not being here. What need would there be for Watchers if there is no evil?_

She began to smile. Maybe being here wouldn't be so bad after all. Then she remembered that Buffy must be panicking back home. _But maybe the time is different here, like when Angel went to hell. Maybe I'll only be here a few days, but when I get back Buffy will be old and wrinkled. Or maybe things go faster here and I've really only been gone a few seconds. Maybe I'll get back before anyone misses me. _

But she strongly doubted that. She bit her lip when she realized that upon returning home she would have to explain how she opened the portal in the first place. She winced when she realized how Anya would react to all the stuff she'd nabbed from the Magic Box. 

_Before I officially freak out, let's make sure I'm right,_ she thought, heading downstairs. 

She pushed through the party-goers until she reached the desk in the living room. She opened the drawer where, in her dimension, Willow and Tara kept some spellbooks and stuff. Just bills. 

_Oh my God. If there really aren't any vamps or demons here, how am I going to find something that can tell me how to get home?_

Just then Buffy and Angel walked down the stairs, interrupting her thoughts. Everyone began to clap. 

"There they are! We were beginning to think you ditched your own engagement party!" Tara said. Dawn blinked. 

Buffy smiled. "Of course not! I actually wanted to make a special announcement now." Everyone grew quiet and looked at Buffy. Tara switched off the music. Buffy smiled and turned to her sister. 

"Angel and I still don't know when the wedding is going to be. But I would still like to ask my sister Dawn to be my maid of honor when that day comes." Dawn felt tears come to her eyes.

For a moment Dawn forgot that this wasn't her real home. "I would be honored," she said. 

Buffy grinned and hugged her sister. After a moment they broke apart. Dawn noticed it was dark outside. _Looks like I'll have to wait until tomorrow to try and get some answers._ Although she still had no idea where she would actually get them.

"Well, aren't we going to party any more?" Buffy said with a smile. Angel leaned in and wrapped his arms around her waist. Dawn smiled at them. It was...comforting to see them happy. 

Tara turned the music back on, even louder than before. Everyone started dancing again. Buffy turned around and shared a long kiss with Angel. Dawn started heading for the stairs, then stopped. _I'm here in a dimension where everyone is happy. I may as well enjoy it, at least until I can find a way home. _Smiling, she walked into the crowd and starting dancing. She would sort everything out in the morning.

Vampire Dimension

"Giles, this is impossible. It seems easy enough to open a portal, but it would be impossible to pinpoint which one Dawn is in." Willow slammed the book closed. They had been sitting in the Magic Box reading over every book on dimensions for over three hours now, and they were still no closer to bringing Dawn home. Tara reached over and touched her arm.

"It's okay. We're going to get her back," Tara said, as confidently as she could manage. 

Anya looked up from the book she was reading. "Willow's right. There are thousands of dimensions, and without specific rituals it is impossible to open one to a specific place. It doesn't help that we don't even know which one Dawn is in," she said. 

Giles cleaned his glasses for about the fifteenth time that day. "When Buffy gets home, we will come up with a plan to rescue Dawn."

Willow pouted. "I sort of hoped that we would maybe have her home before Buffy got back. But I didn't realize how complicated this stuff was." She looked at the clock. "It's after midnight, she should be back soon." There was a brief pause. "I wonder what happened with Angel."

"Hopefully nothing," Xander commented. "The last thing we need is him all 'grr' again."

At that moment Buffy walked in the door of the Magic Box. She forced a smile. "Hey everyone." Everyone just looked at her sadly. She instantly knew that something was wrong. "What happened?"

Giles stood up and walked over to Buffy. He chose his words carefully. "Shortly after you left, Dawn went up to her room." He paused. "A few minutes later, I heard a scream, and when I went to check on her, she was gone." He paused again. "We believe she was taken through a portal."

Buffy paled. "What? I mean...how? A portal to where?"

"Those are all very good questions that we can't find the answers to," Anya chirped. 

Buffy's heart was beginning to race. "Well, what do we know so far?"

"We were looking for a way to open another portal to the same place, but so far we can't find any way of pinpointing where it will open, especially because we don't know which dimension she's in," Willow said. "But I promise, we will find a way."

Buffy started pacing. "Okay, I'm going to call Angel." She headed for the phone.

Giles followed her slowly. "Do you think that's the best idea?"

Buffy didn't even look back. "It's all we have. Plus, Angel told me that last spring Cordelia was taken through a portal, and Wesley figured out a way to get her back." She began to dial. "I'll tell Angel to bring Wes. If they leave now, they can make it here before sunrise." 

Meanwhil,e Willow was just sitting there. "Are you okay baby?" Tara said quietly.

Willow looked at Tara with fear in her eyes. "Tara, I'm scared. I'm scared that I'm not going to be able to get her back for Buffy."

Tara stroked Willow's hair. "It's not all up to you. We are all working together. And I know that we are going to get Dawnie back." She sighed and gazed off into space. "We have to."


	3. Chapter 3: Searching for Answers

Author's Note: Here's chapter 3! Please read and review! If by any chance a Port Charles fan is reading this, I based the character of Rob roughly on the vampire-book store guy that Jamal gets info from during Tainted Love. Note I said roughly. It just gave me the idea. Enjoy!

Chapter 3: Searching for Answers

Vampire Dimension

Two hours later Angel and Wesley walked into the Magic Box. The Sunnydale gang looked up from their research. Buffy stood up and just looked at Angel. Wordlessly he walked to her and gave her a hug.

"We'll get her back," Angel said quietly. Buffy just quietly enjoyed the feeling of his arms around her for the second time in a day. Everyone else fidgeted a little, trying to ignore the private moment that was happening between Buffy and Angel.

They pulled apart somewhat reluctantly and faced the others. "Hey everyone," Angel said.

"Hi Angel," Willow said with a smile. "Hi Wesley." Wesley nodded and smiled.

"So what do we know so far?" Angel said, pulling up a chair next to Buffy.

"Unfortunately not much. We don't even know what dimension Dawn is in," Willow said.

Wesley began unloading books from the bag he had brought. "I brought some of my reference materials from Los Angeles. Maybe something can be of use," he said.

Giles picked up one of Wesley's books. "Where did you get this? This volume has been on back-order for 3 months now," he said, somewhat jealous.

Buffy gave Giles a look. "Giles?"

"Oh, sorry," he said. He began to look through the book.

"Has anyone checked Dawn's room for clues as to how the portal might have opened?" Wesley said.

Buffy shook her head. "Not really. We've mostly just been researching."

Giles stood up. "That's a good idea. Buffy, why don't you take Angel back to the house, and the rest of us will continue looking for a way to reopen the portal."

Buffy nodded. She felt excitement inside at getting to spend some time alone with Angel, but also slightly uncomfortable at the same time. "Okay. Give me a call if you find anything," she said. Buffy and Angel walked outside.

"We can take the car," Angel said, gesturing to his black convertible.

Buffy climbed in the passenger seat. Angel put the keys in the ignition and began driving to Buffy's house. Minutes passed in total silence.

"It's going to be okay," Angel said. "I'm not leaving until we get Dawn back."

Buffy gave him a small smile. "Thanks. I just feel so helpless. My sister is trapped in some dimension that we don't know squat about, for all we know it could be some kind of-" her voice broke off. She felt tears begin to form. She looked down. "Dawn is all that I have left," she whispered.

Angel's heart was breaking for his love. "And you have nothing to worry about because we are going to get her back," he said firmly. He hesitated. "Last spring when Cordelia was taken through the portal, I was terrified that I would never see her again. But we got her back. It wasn't easy, but that's what you do for the people you care about," he said.

Buffy looked at him curiously. The way he talked about Cordelia almost made it sound like...she shook her head. No. And even if he did, it was none of her business. But it still bothered her.

All of a sudden Buffy realized something. "Spike!" she said suddenly.

Angel snapped his head around to look at her. "What?"

She blushed, embarrassed at her outburst. "Sorry. I just realized that Spike doesn't know what happened to Dawn. Someone should let him know, he could help."

Angel raised his eyebrows. "Spike? Help?"

Buffy looked down. "You know he is harmless now. And besides, he gets along pretty well with Dawn. He would want to know."

Angel was about to say something about letting Dawn spend time with Spike, but he thought better of it. He hadn't liked the way that Buffy had talked about him. Was it possible that...he shook his head. Buffy would never do that. But then again she did that with Riley. But then again Riley wasn't Spike.

"Um, Angel," Buffy said, gesturing out the window. They had arrived at her house.

"Oh!" He put the brakes on quickly, jarring himself back to reality. They climbed out of the car and walked up to the house. Buffy opened the door and they walked inside.

"Just let me call Giles to tell him that someone should go get Spike. You can start checking her room if you want." She headed for the phone.

Angel nodded and headed up the stairs. He tried to forget the jealousy and turn his mind to the task at hand.

He entered Dawn's room. It was quite obvious where the portal had opened, because most of the items in the room had gravitated toward an area near the bed. He walked over slowly. If he could find what had opened the portal, they would be two steps closer to getting Dawn back.

He began to sift through the stuff. Most of it was just random items, clothes, makeup, photos. But then he noticed something lying underneath everything. He picked it up carefully. It was a necklace, a blue pendant. He fingered it slowly.

"Find anything?" Buffy said from behind him.

He stood up, frowning slightly. "Just this." He handed her the necklace. "It was lying underneath everything, I think it was there before the portal opened."

She shook her head. "I've never seen it before. But it's a good lead. We'll bring it to the Magic Box." She carefully put it in her pocket.

Angel continued to sift through the items on the floor, and Buffy wandered over to Dawn's dresser. She casually looked through the stuff. Nothing out of the ordinary. Then she noticed something.

The drawer of Dawn's jewelry box was open. It was full of stuff Buffy had never seen before. She immediately noticed a gold chain with the tag still on it. She lifted it out of the box, and noticed that almost everything in the drawer still had the tags on. There were lipsticks, jewelry...suddenly Buffy realized what the stuff was. "Oh no," she said.

"What?" Angel said from behind her.

She gestured to the drawer. "It's a whole drawer full of stolen stuff."

Angel stood up quickly. "What?"

"It still has the tags on. And I've never seen it before." She lifted a small talisman. "This is from the Magic Box. I remember helping Anya unpack it." She felt tears come to her eyes, and she sat down heavily on Dawn's bed. "Why would she do that?" she said, trying to fight back the tears. She was so stupid. Dawn had obviously needed her, and she must have been too preoccupied with coming back from the dead to notice.

Angel sat down next to Buffy. "It's not your fault you know."

She looked at him through her tears. "But it is! I was gone for so long, and since I've been back, I know I've been distant."

"She just doesn't understand. No one else knows...what you are really going through," he said.

Buffy looked down. Angel was under the assumption that he was the only one she'd told about where she had really been over the summer. She wasn't about to tell him that Spike also knew. She looked at him through her teary eyes. "Angel, can you just...just hold me?"

Angel wordlessly put his arms around her, and she relaxed against him. They sat there like that for a few silent minutes. They could both feel the sexual tension, and Angel began to realize that they SO should not be doing this. After a moment Buffy slowly turned her head around so that her face was only inches from Angel's. Angel knew he should pull away, but he couldn't. "Buffy..." he whispered. "We shouldn't-"

She put her finger over his lips. "Just one kiss. Just let me feel something," she said quietly. She leaned in closer. Despite his better judgement, Angel pressed his lips against hers and they shared a passionate, tender kiss. After a long moment, they reluctantly broke apart. Suddenly Buffy stood up and walked away quickly. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have made you-"

Angel quickly walked over next to her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Don't say that. And it's not like kissing you is a chore," he added with a small smile.

Buffy smiled. He quietly wiped away the tears that were on her cheeks. "Now let's go to the Magic Box and research the necklace. We have to hurry, because the sun is coming up soon. If you don't want to tell the others about what you found, just wait, it's not important right now." He smiled gently. "Okay?"

She smiled back. "You're the best." She reached down and took his hand in hers. "Let's go." Together they walked down the stairs and out to the car.

"Normal" Dimension

The next morning Dawn walked down the stairs, bookbag in hand. She had actually slept pretty well, for being in a different dimension and all. But a few more questions had come to her mind. Like, what had happened to the other Dawn? The Dawn that had been here until she had come through the portal? Wherever she was, she hoped she had done her homework before disappearing. She was also concerned about going to school. Hopefully it wouldn't be too different. But she had come up with an idea that could possibly help her get some answers. It was a long shot, but it was all she had right now.

She walked down the stairs to see Buffy and Angel giggling in the kitchen. They were feeding each other pancakes. She paused a moment to smile at the adorable sight. After a moment, she walked into the kitchen. She almost asked where Tara and Willow were, but realized that they wouldn't be living here in this dimension, because Angel would have been there after Joyce's death, giving them no reason to move in.

"Hey Dawn!" Buffy giggled through the pancakes. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah," Dawn said.

"You want some breakfast? There are some extra pancakes here," Buffy said, trying to ignore Angel, who was kissing her earlobe.

"No, it's okay. I'm not that hungry." She took a breath. "Is it okay if I go over to Janice's after school?" she said. This was crucial to her plan. She just hoped that she was friends with Janice in this dimension.

"Sure, that's fine with me," Buffy said with a smile. "Tell her I said hello."

"So are you ready to go?" Angel said.

Dawn blinked. Then she realized that in this dimension Angel probably drove her to school. "Yeah," she said, trying to hide her surprise.

Angel smiled. He kissed Buffy goodbye and walked to the door. "After you," he said, holding it open.

Dawn smiled. She was starting to like this dimension.

"Oh my God, I hate this dimension!" Dawn muttered to herself seven hours later. She had a horrible school day. The day had started with an early morning run-in with Kirstie, which had proven that some forms of evil still exist, even in the "normal" dimension. Then she had realized that this Dawn's schedule was entirely different, and included honors classes. Maybe the Dawn that was usually here could handle it, but to this one it was exhausting. And she had a boatload of homework that she had no idea how to do. But the good news was that it was time to get some answers.

Dawn grunted as she lifted her heavy bookbag onto her back. "Here goes nothing," she said, walking outside.

"Thank God some things never change," Dawn said to herself. She was standing in front of the Magic Box. Well it wasn't the Magic Box, it was much different, but still, it was a place where she could find what she was looking for.

She walked in the door. The first thing she noticed was that it was much smaller. It was also totally empty. _I suppose in a dimension with no evil there aren't many customers_, she thought. She approached the counter. There was an eccentric looking guy standing behind it. He had long dreadlocks, and wore several amulets and talismans around his neck.

"Hey. Can I help you?" he said excitedly. Dawn supposed he didn't get a customer very often.

"Yeah. I am looking for any information you might have on alternate dimensions," she said.

The guy winked at her. "Alternate dimensions, huh? Let me guess, you are from one and you are looking for a way home?"

Dawn's eyes widened. "How did-"

The guy laughed, and headed for the bookcase. "Just kidding." He began pulling a few books off the shelves. "I understand that most people don't believe in the supernatural. But I have always been a believer." He set a few books down at a table. "I'm Rob by the way. What exactly did you want to know?"

Dawn smiled. "I'm Dawn. I am looking for information on traveling to other dimensions. Like, how you get to one," she said carefully.

"Well I can tell you that. Basically there are believed to be thousands of dimensions. You reach another dimension by opening a portal. It can be done in various ways. Incantations, talismans..."

_Talismans_, Dawn thought. _It must have been the necklace._

"How do you get back from one? Like, if someone accidentally got sent to another dimension, how would they get home?" she asked casually.

Rob looked at her suspiciously. "Why exactly do you want to know all this? And don't tell me it's for a school project, because I've never met one teacher who would assign a project on alternate dimensions."

_Darn._ That was the excuse she'd been planning on using. She began to feel a little exasperated. "Look. I've had a really long day, so I am just going to be perfectly honest with you. Just promise not to send me to the looney bin?" she pleaded.

Rob was intrigued. "I promise."

She sat down in one of the chairs. "I am from another dimension. But there, vampires and demons were real. My sister was a vampire slayer, actually. Everything was really messed up. So I started stealing some stuff. Yesterday I was trying on the necklace I stole from this shop. Except in my dimension my friends run it. And the next thing I knew, I am in this dimension, where there are no such thing as vampires, my sister is happily engaged to her boyfriend, who is a vampire in my dimension, but he has a soul, so it's not as creepy as you think. And I need to get back home," she said, all in one breath.

Rob blinked at her. "Seriously?"

Dawn looked him in the eyes. "Dead serious."

"Wow. So...you mean it's all real? At least somewhere?" he said excitedly.

"Yup. All of it. Okay, I have tons of questions. First, the portal opened because of the necklace, but when I got here it was gone. Where is it?" she asked.

Rob paused a minute. "I know that some objects are unable to go through portals, and can only exist in the dimension they originated in. It is probably back in your home dimension."

Dawn nodded. "And what about the Dawn that used to be here? Before I came through the portal?"

Rob began flipping through a book. "I know that only one form of a soul or being can exist in the same dimension at the same time. When you came through the portal, the Dawn that was previously here was probably forced out."

Dawn frowned. "But where is she now? Will she come back if I find a way home?"

Rob shrugged. "I don't know for sure. But I would assume that she is in limbo, stuck between dimensions somehow. I would guess that she would come back if you found a way out."

"Wait a minute. If?"

"Opening portals to dimensions is a very complicated process. It requires dark magic. And pinpointing which dimension you will end up in is near impossible." He looked at Dawn's annoyed face. "Hey, it's not like I've ever done this before."

Dawn sighed. "I know. And I really appreciate you trying to help me." She looked at her watch. "Crap. I have to go home." She paused and frowned. "Well not home, home, but you know." She picked up her bookbag. "Can you research for me? Try to find any sliver of a chance that I can open a portal to my dimension. I am going to come back tomorrow at the same time."

Rob still looked a little in shock. "Of course. I'll get all the information I can."

Dawn smiled at him genuinely. "Thank you so much."

"It was my pleasure." They exchanged smiles, and Dawn walked back outside. Maybe there was hope after all.


	4. Chapter 4: Decisions, Decisions

Author's Note: Thanks for all of the kind reviews. And thanks to Tara for helping me stop writing and post this part now XD There will be two more chapters after this. To answer some of your questions, no, Dawn is not paired up with anyone. And Spike is in this chapter, enjoy Spike fans. Spike is not in the "normal" dimension because he has no place there. Enjoy, and please review!

Chapter 4: Decisions, Decisions

Dawn entered the Summers house a little while later. Buffy and Angel were sitting on the couch. "Dawn! Perfect. You can be the tiebreaker vote." She jumped to her feet and held up two dvds. "_Heartbreakers_ or _The Mummy Returns_?"

Dawn was a little surprised at first, because she couldn't remember the last time they had rented a movie in her dimension. But she smiled. She had decided on her way home to enjoy her time here, away from all the bad stuff. "Heartbreakers, all the way," she said with a smile.

Buffy turned to Angel triumphantly. "Ha! The chick flick it is." She sat down on the couch next to her fiancé. Angel looked pained.

"If I didn't love you so damn much..." he kissed her gently.

Dawn smiled as she watched the couple kissing. She wished that her sister could have this kind of happiness back home.

They broke apart, and Buffy turned to face Dawn. "Come sit down. Unless you have homework."

Dawn smiled and lied. "I did it at Janice's house." It wasn't like she knew how to do this honors stuff anyway. And besides, she had vowed to herself that she was going to enjoy her time in this dimension. She sat down on the couch while Buffy started the movie. As the opening credits began to roll, Dawn looked at Buffy and Angel smiling and happy in each other's arms. _This is the way things should be_. She settled down to watch the movie.

Vampire Dimension

"Well that's just not good enough Wesley!" Buffy yelled. They had been researching for over 30 hours now and they still had next to nothing. Wesley had explained to them about the hot spots, but even if they found another one besides the one in Dawn's room, they still didn't know how to get to the same dimension her sister had been taken to.

"Buffy," Angel said softly, touching her arm. "Wesley is trying the best he can. Just sit down." He eased her back into her seat.

Buffy rubbed her forehead and sat back down. "You're right. I'm sorry. But every minute is a minute longer that Dawn is afraid and alone." She didn't even want to think about the fact that it might actually be much longer where Dawn was.

Spike frowned. He had come immediately when he had heard of what had happened to Dawn. He came to help, but all he was doing was feeling nauseous looking at the slayer and her giant poof. "We're gonna get the little bit back, slayer," he said frowning at Angel.

Completely ignoring him, Buffy began to talk to the others gathered around the table in the Magic Box. "Is there any way we can just reopen the last portal that was opened in Dawn's room?"

Wesley shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Once a portal is opened, the energy at the hot spot is depleted. It could be days before it builds up again, and even then we would need the proper ritual."

Buffy stood up again. "Guess we'll just have to start opening random portals until I find her."

Angel stood up quickly. "No. That's much too dangerous, and besides there are too many dimensions."

She looked at him defiantly. "I don't care. I will go through every dimension and then some if that's what it takes to find my sister." She turned to Willow. "You said you can open a portal, right?"

Willow looked at her sadly. "Well, sure. But I can't pinpoint a location."

Buffy took a breath. "Xander, find anything on the necklace yet?"

There had been quite a scene when Buffy and Angel had returned from her house. When they had showed everyone the necklace, Anya had totally freaked. "That juvenile delinquent robbed my store! She took valuable merchandise without exchanging it for cash first!" she had said angrily. It had taken Tara, Xander, and Giles to calm her down, and Buffy hadn't even mentioned the other stolen stuff yet.

"Not yet," Xander said. Just then Giles held up his hand.

"Buffy, I think I found something." He passed her the book he was looking at.

Buffy looked at the book and saw a picture of the talisman they had found in Dawn's room. "The Talisman of Draynek takes a wish made by the wearer and transports them to a dimension created to match the specifics of their wish." Buffy paused a moment.

"That's g-good. W-what do you think she would w-wish for?" Tara said. She thought she had overcome her stuttering problem, but with the addition of the two LA visitors, not to mention the sexual tension between Buffy and Angel that you could cut with a knife, she was feeling a little vulnerable.

Everyone paused and looked at each other.

"Could I just wish to find my sister?" Buffy asked Giles.

Giles slowly removed his glasses. "I wouldn't think so. It says it creates a dimension based on the wearer's desires, and since Dawn is already in a dimension, you cannot ask for her to be in two places at the same time. The best you could hope for is an imitation," he said.

"Well, I think it's worth a try," Buffy said, reaching for the necklace.

Angel quickly snatched it out of her grasp. "No way. We don't know enough about this necklace for me to allow you to just put it on and start wishing," he said, trying to control his frustration.

Buffy reached for the necklace, but he held it out of her grasp. "Allow me? Who died and made you the boss of me?"

"You tell him slayer," Spike encouraged/ Angel and Buffy ignored him again.

Angel glared at her. "You did." There was complete silence in the room. "I am not about to lose you again."

Buffy looked at him pleadingly. "I just want to get my sister back."

Angel's heart was breaking for his love. "I know." He gently pulled her into a hug. Buffy used the opportunity to rip the necklace from his grasp and run towards the door.

"Buffy! No!" he yelled, running after her.

"Normal" Dimension

Dawn walked to her locker at the end of the school day with a smile on her face. Today had been a lot better than yesterday. She had actually completed most of the homework last night after the movie, and today she actually understood most of what the teachers were saying. It was surprising how much a normal environment can do for you.

As she gathered the books she needed for homework, she remembered that she had to meet Rob at the Magic Box. She wondered if he had found anything. She felt guilty when she realized that she hoped he didn't. She was beginning to like it here.

_I'll just drop by for a few minutes, see if he found anything, then go home and figure things out from there._ She picked up her bookbag and headed out the door. She had told Buffy she was going to Janice's again. She felt bad lying, which surprised her since it came so naturally in her home dimension. But some things just had to be done.

Later Dawn walked into the magic shop. She was surprised to see a customer, an old woman. Rob was showing her his selection of scented candles. As the bell above the door rang, he looked up and saw Dawn. He excused himself from the customer and hurried over to Dawn. "Thank God you're here, you won't believe what I found!" He herded her behind the desk and pulled out a spell book and a notebook with notations scribbled all over it. He looked at her excitedly. "I may have found a way for you to get home."

Dawn felt her heart sinking. "Really?"

Rob nodded excitedly. "I found a ritual that can be used to reverse the dimensional energy most recently present in a space. This means that by performing this ritual, you can reopen the portal that brought you here and return home."

Dawn looked at the spell book. "That looks too complicated. Guess we have to keep looking," she said, faking disappointment.

Rob looked at her quizzically. "It's really quite basic. I have all the ingredients here. All you have to do is set up the sacred circle at the place where the portal was opened, and read this incantation." He handed her a bag. "Inside is everything you need. And here is the incantation." He handed her a piece of paper with what looked like Latin written on it. "I can help with the pronunciations if you want."

Dawn shook her head. "Wow. How can I ever thank you."

Rob smiled crookedly. "It was my pleasure. I never thought I would actually meet someone from another dimension," he said. He had said it a little loudly, causing the old lady to stare at them and then leave without buying anything.

Dawn smiled. "I think you just scared your customer away."

Rob shrugged. "It's alright. So do you need any help performing the ritual? Because I could...you know..."

Dawn looked at Rob firmly. "You're not coming. You belong here. And besides it's a much better place here anyway."

Rob slumped a little, trying to hide his disappointment. "Well it was worth a shot."

Dawn began digging in her bookbag. "Let me just pay you for this stuff, then I'll be on my way."

"No, please I don't want any money. Just meeting you was amazing." He looked her in the eye. "Good luck Dawn."

Dawn gave her new friend a quick hug. "Thank you so much Rob." She began to head for the door.

"Dawn wait!" She turned around.

"The mystical energy only remains for 3 days after being opened. So you have until tomorrow night at the latest to get home, or else you are probably stuck here for good."

Dawn nodded. "Thanks." Then she walked out the door.

Once outside, Dawn slumped against the wall. She had a way home. Now she just had to decide whether to use it or not. And time was running out.


	5. Chapter 5: Consequences

Author's Note: I literally just wrote this all in one shot. Please ignore my poor Latin, I tried to make it half right with a dictionary, but I'm sure it's totally wrong. Forgive me. Only one more chapter coming after this. Sorry this is short, but it's pivotal nonetheless. Oh and just a warning, this chapter contains swearing. Enjoy, and please review!

Chapter 5: Consequences

"Normal" Dimension

Dawn walked inside the Summers' home a half an hour later, the spell and ingredients tucked away in her backpack. She had been debating what to do the whole way home, and still hadn't reached a decision. As soon as she walked inside Buffy ran up to her, looking very frazzled.

"Dawn! Oh thank God! Where the hell were you?" her sister said, half angry and half relieved.

Dawn was startled. "I was at Janice's..."

Buffy looked at her angrily. "I was just on the phone with Janice's mother. I called to tell you to come home early, because Angel was going to take us out to dinner. But she said you weren't there, and no one had any idea where you were. Willow and Tara are out scouring the city for you right now. So once again, where the _hell_ were you?"

Dawn closed her eyes for a brief moment. She had to think fast. As she was considering her options Angel came into the room. "Dawn! There you are. Where have you been? We were so worried. You almost gave your sister a heart attack," he said, wrapping an arm tightly around Buffy. They both looked at Dawn expectantly.

"Well I thought I was going to Janice's, but then I got talking after school to this new girl. She just moved here, she's really nice. And by the time we were done talking, it was late so I figured I should just come home," she said quickly.

Buffy looked at Dawn again. Some of the anger was gone from her eyes, but it was replaced with suspicion. "Okay. But never do that again, do you understand?" Buffy gave Dawn a quick hug.

Dawn hugged her sister, relieved that she had bought the lie. While she was in the embrace with Buffy, she noticed Angel staring at her suspiciously. _Uh oh, what if he didn't buy it?_ She tried as hard as she could to look relaxed.

The two sisters broke apart. "Well, I'd better go get started on my homework," Dawn said, heading up the stairs. Buffy nodded. Angel just looked at her.

Vampire Dimension

Buffy ran down the street, the necklace tight in her grasp. She was going to Dawn's room, she was going to wish herself into every dimension that existed until she found her sister. She just hoped that the energy at the hotspot in her sister's room had returned.

"Buffy, wait!" Angel yelled, running behind her. "It's not the answer!"

They ran all the way to the Summers' home, neither one tiring. Angel finally caught up with Buffy on the porch while she fumbled for her key. He grabbed her arm. "Buffy, don't do this."

She didn't look at him. She opened the door and ran inside. Angel stopped her again.

"Buffy I am not going to let you do this. I love you too damn much to let you do something this dangerous."

Briefly fazed by his words, she paused for a moment. But then she remembered Dawn and ran upstairs, with Angel following her closely.

"Normal" Dimension

Up in her room, Dawn closed the door and collapsed on the bed. That was a close one. She removed the stuff from Rob from her bookbag and tucked it away on the highest shelf of her closet. Until she decided whether or not to use it, she couldn't risk Buffy or Angel finding it. She immediately felt a sense of deja vu. She felt as if she was back home, hiding away her stolen stuff. She hadn't wanted to tell any lies in this dimension. She wanted a fresh start. But only two days in she was back to lying to her sister.

She sat down at her desk and attempted to do her math homework. After two minutes of staring at the numbers she was interrupted by her stomach growling. She decided to get a snack, and then start making up the answers.

She headed downstairs, but stopped dead when she heard raised voices.

"I'm just saying that I don't think she was telling the truth!" Angel said, much more loudly than usual.

"Of course she's telling the truth! She's my sister, she would never lie to me!" Buffy yelled. Dawn felt a pang of guilt.

"Listen to me Buffy, I can tell when someone is lying to me. Just like you are lying right now when you say that you believe her!" Angel bellowed.

"Well I don't want to hear you accusing my sister of something she didn't do! And who gives you the right to call me a liar?" she yelled.

"Buffy, open your damn eyes! She had guilt written all over her face! Dawn could be in trouble, and you are too blind to even see it!"

Dawn felt tears coming to her eyes. This wasn't right. They were supposed to be happy here.

"I know my sister much better than you do! And if you refuse to show her some respect, I suggest that you leave right now," Buffy said shakily. Dawn could tell from the sound of her voice that she was crying. It was something she had learned to recognize from their crazy life back home.

"Well then maybe I will. And when you decide to listen to me, I'll come back." She heard loud footsteps and then the door slammed. Dawn jumped when she heard breaking glass from downstairs. Buffy was taking out her anger on the decor. Then she heard her sister sobbing quietly.

Dawn ran back to her room, blinded by her tears. She shut the door quietly behind her. This wasn't fair. Everything had been perfect here until she came. Now her sister wasn't even happy in a dimension without evil. And it was all because of her. She knew what she had to do.

She walked to her closet and grabbed the bag from the magic shop. She couldn't let herself ruin everything for the people here. They deserved to be happy somewhere. She was going home. If she had to ruin things for everyone, it may as well be for the people that were already miserable.

She set up the circle of candles next to her bed where the portal had opened. Blinded by her tears, she struggled with the matches until they were all lit. Then she poured the pile of sand in the center, and sat down. Wiping her eyes, she held the paper with the incantation in front of her.

"Facultas aliquantus navitas ego impero tu," she said, sounding out the Latin as best she could. "Navitas adeo hic, ego impero tu revenio. Ego impero tu, remeo!" Suddenly there where a flash of bright light, and a moment later Dawn was lying on the floor of her room again. Only there were no candles, no sacred circle. She stumbled up and ran to her dresser. She opened the bottom drawer of her jewelry box. It was there. All of her stolen stuff. She was home.

At that moment Buffy burst in the door. Her sister stopped dead when she saw Dawn. Angel ran up behind her and stopped abruptly to avoid running into Buffy.

Dawn smiled weakly. "Hey guys."

Vampire Dimension

Buffy walked into Dawn's room. She had just heard a strange noise, like energy crackling. She looked in to see Dawn sitting at her desk doing homework.

"Hey Buffy," her sister said with a smile. "What's up?"


	6. Chapter 6: Just Breathe

Author's Note: Well this is it. The final chapter! Another fanfic done. Many thanks to everyone who has submitted a review, I appreciate it more than you know. And of course to my wonderful guild members. I love you guys! The song is Breathe by Melissa Etheridge. And yes, I did leave it very open for a sequel, which will most likely be written in the near future. Enjoy!

Chapter 6: Just Breathe

Vampire Dimension

Buffy ran to her sister and hugged her tightly. "Dawn! Oh my God. We have been so worried! What happened? Where were you? Are you okay?" she said, pulling away to examine Dawn.

Dawn forced a smile. "I'm fine." She turned to Angel, who was standing awkwardly near the door. "Hey Angel."

"Hi Dawn. I'm glad you're back," he said.

Buffy stroked her sister's hair protectively. "So where were you?"

Dawn took a deep breath. "It's a really long story, and I only want to tell it once. So can we go to the Magic Box?" she said. She prayed her sister would say yes, because she needed time to decide exactly how much to tell them.

Buffy obviously did not want to wait, but she agreed anyway. "Okay. Let's go," she said.

A few minutes later Buffy, Angel, and Dawn entered the Magic Box. Everyone jumped to their feet.

"Dawnie! Oh thank God!" Tara exclaimed.

"You're back!" Willow said, beaming. "See Buffy, I told you it would all work out."

Spike was very relieved to see Dawn. "Hello Little Bit," he said. He was even more happy when he realized that this meant that Angel would have no reason to stick around any longer.

Buffy held up a hand and silenced everyone. "Dawn said that she wanted to tell us all at once what happened. So can we please let her?" she asked.

Everyone took their seats again, and stared expectantly at Dawn. They were a little afraid of what she was going to say.

Dawn had thought it over on the way, and she had decided to tell them everything. She decided that perhaps it would comfort them a little, to know that somewhere they were all happy. She knew it had comforted her. She was already missing that dimension, and the beautiful normality of it.

Dawn took a deep breath, and began to speak. "It all started when I found this necklace here, in the Magic Box," she said carefully. She also had to be careful to not reveal how she had really come by the necklace.

"Dawn, it's okay." Buffy stood up and looked at her seriously. "We know how you got the necklace. We found everything." Dawn felt her heart sink right to the floor.

Anya glared at Dawn. "We all know how you robbed my store. But what do you mean by everything?" she said to Buffy suspiciously.

Buffy gave Anya a stern look. "We'll talk about it later." Dawn had just been through a terrible ordeal, and the last thing she needed was the wrath of Anya. The former vengeance demon looked suspicious, but shut up.

"Well I'm guessing you know about the necklace then," Dawn said, thinking of how much trouble she was in. She took a deep breath. "I...I wished that everything was back to normal. It's just that...well we all know that things haven't really been the same since Buffy....since she came back. And I just wanted a break, you know? But I didn't know that the necklace would do that," she added quickly.

Everyone looked uncomfortable. Angel and Spike, the only two who really knew where Buffy had been, glanced at her nervously, then glared at each other for doing so.

Dawn continued. "The next thing I knew I was at home, only it wasn't home. It was different. Everyone was acting really...normal." She paused a moment, and looked down. "You...I mean they were having an engagement party for Buffy and Angel.

Buffy sat up very straight. Angel closed his eyes for a moment. Spike tried to retain the urge to kill something.

"No one there knew anything about the supernatural. But I knew I had to find a way home. So after school, I came here. Only it was different, and it was owned by this guy named Rob. He knew a lot about portals and stuff, and he helped me."

"So he didn't think you were crazy? You actually told him you were from another dimension and he believed you?" Giles asked.

"I would have told her she was crazy," Anya muttered, causing Xander to kick her under the table.

"He believed me totally. And he was the one that found the spell for me, so I could come home. And that's pretty much it," she said quietly. Everyone was silent for a few awkward minutes.

"Were we...I mean how were the rest of us?" Willow asked.

Dawn smiled. "You and Tara were together. And so were Xander and Anya," she said. "Giles and Spike...you weren't there, because...you know, normalness." There was another awkward pause. Finally Dawn looked at Buffy. "I'm really tired. Dimension hopping and all. Do you think we could go home now?" she said quietly.

Buffy nodded, still a little dazed from Dawn's speech. "Of course."

"I'll drive you," Angel said. Buffy looked up to thank him, but then avoided his gaze.

"Thanks. Then you and Wesley should probably head back to LA." She took Dawn's arm and headed towards the door.

Wesley stood up. "Perhaps I'll come with you, and then maybe we can get back before the sun comes up." Angel nodded.

"Buffy, do you still have the necklace? It should probably be destroyed, don't want it to..." Giles said.

Buffy nodded. "I'll take care of it."

Angel and Wesley waved goodbye to the others, and left with Buffy and Dawn.

After they had left, Tara looked around. "Where's Spike?"

Xander shrugged. "I think he skipped out when Dawn started talking about Buffy and Angel being together...there." The five of them sat in silence, silently reminiscing about a world without vampires and demons.

Angel pulled up outside of the Summers home. Buffy and Dawn climbed out of the car, and Angel got out after them. "I'll just be a minute," he said to Wesley. Wesley nodded, understanding.

The three of them walked up to the house. Buffy opened the door and turned to Dawn. "I'll be up in a minute, okay?" Dawn nodded.

"Bye Angel. Thanks for coming to help," Dawn said. Then she disappeared upstairs.

Buffy and Angel looked at each other for the first time since Dawn's speech at the Magic Box. Neither one seemed to know what to say.

"I'm sorry," Angel said finally.

Buffy frowned. "What for?"

"That I can't be with you," he said simply.

Buffy felt tears coming to her eyes. "Please, we've been through this-"

"It's just important that you know. I hope you know that I wish that I could give you the life you had in the dimension where Dawn was."

She smiled slightly. "I know." She paused. "Thank you. For coming."

He smiled. "Anytime." He leaned in and kissed her gently on the cheek. She clasped her hand around his. They shared one more moment, just enjoying being close to one another. Then he walked back to the car, leaving Buffy to stand there on the porch, touching her cheek where his lips had just been.

_I played the fool today.   
And I just dream of vanishing into the crowd.   
Longing for home again.   
But home is a feeling I buried in you.   
I'm all right, I'm all right.   
It only hurts when I breathe. _

Dawn sat up in her room, writing in her journal. She hadn't done this since she had found out she was the key_, _but it just seemed crucial for her to remember every minute of the past two days. As she wrote, she smiled as images from that dimension filled her mind. Buffy and Angel kissing, Tara dancing...herself smiling in the mirror. She already missed it. But she knew that she had to learn to be happy here. And who knows, maybe someday, they would all be happy, and everything would be normal. But a part of her knew that this could never be true. She kept writing, ignoring the tears that were landing on the page, blurring her words.

_And I can't ask for things to be still again.   
No I can't ask if I could walk through the world in your eyes.   
Longing for home again.   
But home is a feeling I buried in you. _

Spike sat in his crypt, finishing a bottle of beer. It was too much for him to take, seeing them together, and hearing about their perfect happiness in some land far away.It saddened him when he realized that it would always be Angel. No matter how hard he tried, her heart was taken. He opened another bottle. Perhaps it was better off.

_I'm all right, I'm all right.   
It only hurts when I breathe.   
I'm all right, I'm all right.   
It only hurts when I breathe. _

Angel drove home silently, the cool breeze blowing his hair back. He hadn't spoken since they'd left Sunnydale, and Wesley knew enough to keep quiet. His mind kept floating back to the kiss they had shared in Dawn's room, so full of passion and longing. And then he would see the expression on her face when Dawn had mentioned their engagement party. He wanted so badly to give that to her, but he knew he never could. And that was what killed him.

_My window through which nothing hides.   
And everything sings.   
I'm counting the signs.   
And cursing the miles in between.   
And home is a feeling I buried you.   
That I buried in you. _

Buffy sat on the porch, crying silently. She didn't know if she could keep living before all this had happened, and now that she knew that there was a better life somewhere out there it only made it harder. It was all she'd ever wanted. Just a happy, normal life with Dawn and Angel by her side. She touched her cheek, and then her lips, where his had met hers yesterday, in Dawn's room, and the day before that, at their meeting between Sunnydale and LA. If only...her mind wandered to the necklace in her pocket. She pulled it out and looked at it. She grasped her fist around it tightly. Maybe things weren't so hopeless after all. She carefully placed the necklace back in her pocket, and headed inside.

_I'm all right, I'm all right.   
It only hurts when I breathe.   
I'm all right, I'm all right.   
It only hurts when I breathe.   
When I breathe.   
Yeah, it only hurts when I breathe.   
When I breathe.   
Oh, it only hurts when I breathe_

"Normal" Dimension

"You look beautiful," Dawn said. She was standing next to her sister, who was looking gorgeous in a plain, white gown.

Once the Dawn who belonged there had been restored to her proper place, she was left with few memories of the days where she was in limbo between dimensions. She hadn't mentioned it, because Angel and Buffy had made up and she wasn't about to cause trouble again. They had talked it over, and decided to get married right away. They were ready to spend the rest of their lives together. Plans had been made for a small, simple wedding. And now the day was here.

"The guests are waiting outside. It's time," Dawn said excitedly, smoothing her maid of honor gown. "Are you ready?"

Buffy smiled. She took Dawn's hand, and together they headed down the stairs to the future.

The End


End file.
